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Religion
In reply to the discussion: We do not have free will. [View all]Jim__
(14,463 posts)71. From your citation: "The illusion may only apply to a small set of our choices ..."
"... that are made quickly and without too much thought."
The more complete citation:
It remains to be seen just how much the postdictive illusion of choice that we observe in our experiments connects to these weightier aspects of daily life and mental illness. The illusion may only apply to a small set of our choices that are made quickly and without too much thought. Or it may be pervasive and ubiquitousgoverning all aspects of our behavior, from our most minute to our most important decisions. Most likely, the truth lies somewhere in between these extremes. Whatever the case may be, our studies add to a growing body of work suggesting that even our most seemingly ironclad beliefs about our own agency and conscious experience can be dead wrong.
Even if someone proves that some short term decisions are made unconsciously and then later interpreted by the subject to have been made consciously, that would only demonstrate that under certain conditions, what we believe are our conscious choices are illusions.
Suppose tomorrow is payday and I am trying to decide how much of my paycheck to put in the bank. I consciously weigh my financial situation and my need for cash over the next week. I don't see any correlation with the situations described in that citation and my mulling over my options. Now, at some point, after I have consciously studied all the options, some unconscious process in my brain may push a decision of option A into my conscious. But that decision is based on the options and weights that I have consciously raised and evaluated. So I consider it a decision freely and consciously made.
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except this atheist who thinks 'free will' is an entirely dubious concept in a material universe.
Voltaire2
Aug 2019
#18
That's only in the context of actions studied. You are suggesting a much broader interpretation.
trotsky
Aug 2019
#45
You're writing a lot of words to try and distract from the fact that you want it both ways.
trotsky
Aug 2019
#56
No, it doesn't. It introduces conscious control into the search and deliberation processes.
Jim__
Aug 2019
#69
except that when neurologists go looking for this alleged 'conscious control' what they find instead
Voltaire2
Aug 2019
#70
From your citation: "The illusion may only apply to a small set of our choices ..."
Jim__
Aug 2019
#71
yeah because of the limitations of the investigative tools (fMRI) only simple experiments can be
Voltaire2
Aug 2019
#72
The limitations of the investigative tools constitute limitations on what you can learn ...
Jim__
Aug 2019
#73
I was taught that in Ctholic school. I never believed it. It was made up. When ever something
wasupaloopa
Aug 2019
#52
So you are not responcible for your actions since you did not use your free will to choose to do
wasupaloopa
Aug 2019
#51